Anti-racism author Tim Wise to speak on ACU campus

Posted January 29, 2010

Tim Wise, a prominent anti-racism author and speaker, will be on the Abilene Christian University campus in March to discuss the topic of confronting racism.

Wise, who has written a number of books condemning racism and has spoken in 48 states and on 400 college campuses, will discuss the concept of "white privilege" and will urge the ACU and Abilene communities to take a closer look at the advantages they take for granted in their lives.

Among his books are White Like Me: Reflections on Race from a Privileged Son and Between Barack and a Hard Place: Racism and White Denial in the Age of Obama.

"Tim Wise pushes you to think about the rights you have been born with - to examine your own life," said Dr. Jeanene Reese, associate professor of Bible, missions and ministry at ACU.

Reese is one of the ACU faculty members that comprise the group United by Faith, which has been addressing race relations and reconciliation through prayer, reading and discussion for the past five years.

United by Faith invited Wise to campus in the hopes of educating the community about racism.

"We're trying to make this an area-wide conversation," Reese said. "Our main purpose is to get to understand each other better, and to bring that understanding into our community schools and churches."

Wise will speak in Moody Coliseum on the ACU campus at 6:30 p.m. March 2. For more information about the event and other ways ACU is working toward better race relations, visit the United by Faith website.